some more info for my fellow iv users out there :))
CHAPTER ONE
GETTING READY: PREPARING YOURSELF & YOUR EQUIPMENT
Preparing for and planning your injection drug use (or any drug use) is one of the most impor tant things you can do to achieve your desired results and to prevent potentially harmful mistakes from occurring in the process. Drug injection is a rather complex activity. There are many steps along the way where something can go wrong, but equally as many places where you can make the process safer. Before injecting, you should (1) assess the safety of your setting and evaluate your state of mind; (2) make sure you have the best materials you can get, and enough of them; and (3) prepare your drugs as cleanly as possible.
SETTING, ENVIRONMENT & MOOD
Unfor tunately, we don’t always have complete control over how we’re feeling when we want or need to get high or the circumstances under which we use. While we may not always be aware of it, where we use, who we use with (if anyone), and our state of mind when we’re getting high can all have an impact on injection safety.
WHERE YOU USE
Some places are safer for injecting than others, and you should always choose from among your options the safest one possible. The ideal location for injecting is one that is relatively clean, dry, warm, and well-lit, and where:
➤ your chances of getting caught by the police are minimal
➤ you feel comfor table that there will be no surprise interruptions or unwanted observers
➤ you can take as much time as you need
➤ you have adequate space for yourself and your equipment
➤ you have access to a sink or other source of clean water
➤ you are sheltered from the wind and weather.
All of these factors should be weighed against each other when choosing a place to get off. It is clear, then, that using in your own home (if you’re for tunate enough to have one) or the home of a
friend is safer than using in a public bathroom. However, a public bathroom—par ticularly if it’s a single room with a door that locks—is usually safer than injecting in a place such as a public
park or the stairwell of an apar tment building. In general, but notalways, indoor locations are safer than outdoor ones, and definitely preferable in terms of wind and weather.
If you’re injecting in a relatively public place, like a toilet stall in an public bathroom, try to make it look like you’re changing your clothes or freshening up. If you know you’ll have to be getting off in a location like this where there is no
direct access to a sink, bring along a small bottle of water to mix your shot with (it’s probably a good idea in any case to make water a permanent par t of the works you carry). Most impor tantly, always try to stay as calm as possible no matter where you’re injecting. While it can be nerve-wracking getting off in a public or semi-public place or somewhere else where you’re afraid of getting caught, it’s impor tant to keep your wits about you so that you don’t end up knocking over
your shot, spilling your drugs, being unable to get a hit because you’re so nervous, or getting blood all over.
So, use common sense and planning when choosing a location to inject. If at all possible, wait to get off until you’ve found a place
where you feel relatively comfor table and can minimize the risk of getting arrested. Make sure you have all the materials you need before you begin, and don’t assume you’ll always have
access to water. Finally, be considerate of others—no one likes coming across a used needle and syringe in their apar tment building or seeing bloody tissue in a public toilet, and there’s no reason they should have to. Drug injectors have a bad enough rap as it is. Let’s not give people the ammunition to keep us marginalized and oppressed!
